Meet The Women Who Made History By Entering Sabarimala Temple

Kanaka Durga (39) and Bindu Ammini (40) made history by becoming the first in centuries to enter Sabarimala Temple, which traditionally bans the entry of women of menstrual age, in Kerala, after India's Supreme Court ruled in late September to end a ban on women of menstruating age entering it. In this photo, Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini are seen posing for a photo after an interview with Reuters in Kochi. (Image: Reuters)

They had attempted to enter the temple last year as well but were turned away by protesters. In this photo, Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini are seen escorted by police in Pathanamthitta on December 24. (Image: Reuters)

Protesters burn an effigy of Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of the southern state of Kerala, during a protest against the state government for allowing two women to defy an ancient ban and enter the Sabarimala temple, in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)

A dawn-to-dusk 12-hour hartal called by Hindu outfits on Thursday (January 02) in protest against the entry of two women entered the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa. In this photo, A policeman is seen chasing protesters. (Image: PTI)

Protesters beat an effigy of Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of the southern state of Kerala, with shoes during a protest against the state government for allowing two women to defy an ancient ban and enter the Sabarimala temple, in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)

Policemen wear riot gear before the start of a rally during a strike called by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to protest against the state government for allowing two women to defy an ancient ban and enter the Sabarimala temple, in Kochi. (Image: Reuters)

Protesters beat an effigy of Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of the southern state of Kerala, with shoes during a protest against the state government for allowing two women to defy an ancient ban and enter the Sabarimala temple, in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)

The women — Bindu (42), a CPI(ML) activist from Koyilandy in Kozhikode district, and Kanakadurga (44), a civil supplies employee from Angadipuram in Malappuram — became the first female pilgrims of menstruating age to have achieved the feat after the Supreme Court overturned a traditional ban on women's entry last year.

Bindu from Malappuram and Kanaka Durga from Kannur, both from the hitherto banned age group, were stopped at 8 a.m., barely 1000 metres away from the shrine as even a 100-policemen contingent could not pass through a massive wall of Ayyappa chanters. Despite the police resorting to a lathi-charge, the situation did not change. In fact tension escalated and more security force was requested to be deployed at the spot. (Image: PTI)

Four transgenders draped in sarees, who were earlier denied permission to visit the Sabarimala temple, completed their darshan of the Lord Ayyappa shrine on December 18 after securing permission. (Image: PTI)

Hindu Aikya Vedi leader KP Sasikala climbs up the 18 sacred steps to offer prayers at Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. The leader, who is out on bail, was earlier arrested from near the temple over alleged attempts to foment trouble. (Image: PTI)

Devotees wait to offer prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple on the first day of Malayalam month of 'Vrischikom,' in Sabarimala. Pilgrims, including children, queued up in large numbers since the temple opened at 3 am.(Image: PTI)

Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam offers prayer at Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. He visited the shrine to study the facilities meant for the pilgrims.

"I had visited the temple town two months back and found out that it was in a pretty bad shape due to the floods. I had suggested that a lot of things had to be done to make it fit for a smooth pilgrimage," Alphons told IANS. (Image:PTI)

Women’s rights activist Trupti Desai and other women pilgrims wait at the Cochin International Airport after protesters blocked the arrival gate of the domestic terminal, in Kochi on November 16, 2018. Desai was forced to stay inside the Airport as hundreds of protesters blocked her way at the arrival gate of the domestic terminal. (Image: PTI)

Trupti Desai, a women's rights activist, waves from inside the Cochin International Airport at Kochi. Trupti Desai along with six women pilgrims, all aged under 50, arrived in Kerala from Pune at 4.40 am on Friday. However, she was not allowed to move out of the arrival terminal of the airport. (Image: Reuters)

Protesters oppose the entry of women to the Sabarimala Temple, Kerala, Friday, Oct 19, 2018. Rehana Fathima and journalist Kavitha Jakkal were escorted to the temple but the priest reportedly locked it and the women had to return mid-way. (Image: PTI)

Activist Rehana Fathima being escorted by the police to Sabarimala Temple, Kerala, Friday, Oct 19, 2018. Rehana Fathima and journalist Kavitha Jakkal were taken to the temple but the priest, reportedly, locked it and the women had to return mid-way. (Image: PTI)

Melsanthi Unnikrishnan Nampoothiri opens the Sabarimala temple for the five-day monthly pooja in the Malayalam month of ‘Thulam’, Sabarimala on October 17, 2018. Tension was witnessed outside Sabarimala temple that was opened for the first time for women between the age of 10 and 50 following the Supreme Court verdict, turning over the age-old custom of not admitting them. (Image: PTI)

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple head priest (Tantri) Kandararu Rajeevaru gestures at devotees who were staging a protest against the Supreme Court verdict on the entry of women, as he arrives on the opening day of the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. (Image: PTI)

Devotees, including women, outside the Lord Ayyappa Temple on its opening day in Sabarimala, Kerala. Sabarimala temple opened for the first time for women between the age of 10 and 50 on October 17, turning over the age-old custom of not admitting them based on a 28 September Supreme Court verdict. (Image: PTI)

Police escort Madhavi (of Andhra Pradesh) and her family members after she was heckled by the protesters while she was seeking the entry to the Lord Ayyappa Temple on its opening day in Sabarimala, Kerala. (Image: PTI)

A policeman charges his baton at protesters who tried to block women of menstruating age from going to the Sabarimala temple at Nilakkal, a base camp on way to the mountain shrine in Kerala. The historic mountain shrine, one of the largest Hindu pilgrimage centers in the world is set to open its doors to females of menstruating age following a ruling by the country's top court. Police arrested some protesters when they tried to block the path of some females. (Image: AP)

Indian policemen are deployed to guard against protestors who are opposed to allowing women of menstruating age from entering the Sabarimala temple at Nilakkal, a base camp on way to the mountain shrine in Kerala. (Image: AP)

A policeman throws back a stone as they clash with protestors who tried to stop women of menstruating age from going to the Sabarimala temple at Nilakkal, a base camp on way to the mountain shrine in Kerala. (Image: AP)

Women police personnel are deployed to guard against protestors blocking the path of women of menstruating age going to the Sabarimala temple at Nilakkal, a base camp on way to the mountain shrine in Kerala. (Image: AP)

An elderly woman on her way to Sabarimala Temple as police personnel stand on guard, in Pathanamthitta. Sabarimala Temple is open to women of all age groups for the first time since Supreme Court announced its verdict. (Image: PTI)

Devotees take part in a motorcycle rally as part of a protest against the lifting of ban by Supreme Court that allowed entry of women to the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. (Image: Reuters)

A Hindu devotee is surrounded by other devotees as she threatens to commit suicide in protest against the lifting of the ban by Supreme Court that allowed entry of women to the Sabarimala temple, at Nilakkal Base camp in Pathanamthitta. (Image: Reuters)

Lord Ayyappa devotees during a protest called by various Hindu organisations against the lifting of ban by Supreme Court that allowed entry of women to the Sabarimala temple, in Ahmedabad. (Image: PTI)

Lord Ayyappa devotees during a protest called by various Hindu organisations against the lifting of ban by Supreme Court that allowed entry of women to the Sabarimala temple, in Ahmedabad. (Image: PTI)

Women gesture as they chant religious hymns worshipping Lord Ayyappa during a protest against Supreme Court's verdict on Sabarimala, in New Delhi. The protestors demanded either an immediate review petition or an ordinance to overrule the Supreme Court verdict. (Image: AP)